Delhi’s Best Brunches, if You Want to Be Different

The Yum Yum Tree is hard to define by a country but is unmistakably Asian with a little California bent, says Paul Beckett.

Delhi is a brunch town. From the Oberoi to Olive, every five-star hotel and restaurant worth its salt lays out a vast acreage of food for a few hours on Sunday mornings. “Less is more” is not a motto allowed in the door. Here, more is more, and that’s just for starters.

It’s great to graze, to think momentarily, “not that, this,” then to realize, actually, “that AND this, with seconds.” The sheer opulence can be comforting since being spoiled for choice is, in itself, a pleasure. And no-one in a big group can complain about lack of options — they can’t even complain about lack of cuisines.

But sometimes my test for a brunch is simply this: is any one thing you eat as good as it could possibly be? Often I leave thinking: that was good but I can’t really remember anything I ate, just that I ate an awful lot of a lot of different things. I feel full but a bit cloudy on what just happened (with or without the unlimited bubbly.)

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So recently, we have leaned more toward a different kind of brunch, one that is, how shall we say, more thematic. One where your palate and stomach are not transported from Bologna to Beijing to Beirut to Baluchistan. Instead, they are taken to a country, or at least a distinct region, and led through a series of consonant, complimentary dishes. The exemplars of this are Asian brunches, for my money the best in the city.

The Yum-Yum Tree, in New Friends Colony market, is hard to define by a country. But it is unmistakably Asian, if with a little California bent.

In one part of the restaurant, where I would recommend sitting, sushi — mostly focused on rolls such as prawn tempura or asparagus — passes by on a conveyor belt for taking at your table. This is a brunch spread you don’t even get up for.

The Yum-Yum Tree

Duck, chicken, crab, and vegetable dumplings at Yum-Yum-Tree.

As you accumulate a small pile of empty sushi dishes, along comes dim sum — duck, chicken, crab, and vegetable dumplings – then the main courses that include tenderloin in sesame, noodles, pork spare ribs. The choice is wide but the range is manageable . It’s a food spectrum.

Ah, you might say, I can get this in the “Asian” section of my global five-star brunch. I doubt it. I would wager this has a much wider variety within its defined field and much higher quality.

Moreover, it is unconfused by a slice of pizza, a platter of smoked salmon or a plate of fries. It’s good value at 1,299 rupees. Add 200 rupees for Prosecco, wine, beer and cocktails. The bloody Mary with wasabi is highly recommended.

Eating there retains all the attributes of a top brunch: it’s unlimited and you have plenty of time to enjoy it. Yet you still leave feeling good about yourself, which isn’t always the case elsewhere.

For a more elaborate affair, in terms of food, decor and price, The China Kitchen at the Hyatt serves up a seven-course Chinese (what else?) extravaganza.

In a city where it’s often hard to come by decent Chinese cuisine, China Kitchen is a rare gem. It’s designed along similar lines to the Made in China restaurant at the Hyatt in downtown Beijing, and the food is just as authentic.

The Beijing duck alone is practically worth the price of admission, beautifully roasted and carved into thin, delicate slices lined by fat that is, by layers, soft and crispy. It comes with the added bonus of requiring minimal assembly, like a good toy: a line of duck, a smear of plum sauce, a sprinkling of sugar, a stick of scallion, a length of cucumber, a pancake fold and enjoy.

China Kitchen

China Kitchen’ Beijing Duck.

It’s a relatively expensive brunch for the Delhi circuit, costing as much as 4,800 rupees if you opt for the Lanson Rose champagne version. The Lanson Brut lunch costs 3,500 rupees, while there is the Chinese tea option for 2,200 rupees.

This is brunch as adventurous tasting menu, and in addition to the Beijing duck – the marquee dish – there are other Chinese classics such as Beggars Chicken, assorted dim sum, spring rolls and noodles.

The only downside is the sketchy service. On one occasion, it was fine, another it was terrible, with the uninterested waiter having to be constantly reminded about our orders. That’s inexcusable given the price.

Perhaps the most unique brunch experience, however, is to be found at Sakura, the Japanese restaurant in the Metropolitan Hotel, possibly Delhi’s most unsung five star.

This is like brunching at a spa. The place is bright, the music gentle (if cheesy), the decor light wood and red, and the clientele hushed. The wait staff — discreet, efficient, quiet — start you off with a hot towel and a cup of steaming green tea.

Many of the tables are filled with Japanese families, the kids politely and quietly munching on noodles while their parents have a glass of beer. It is calming.

The sushi, produced before your eyes at the sushi counter, is old school. No mayonnaise or avocado here. It is salmon, tuna, crab, egg or shrimp on rice. Or sashimi. There are rolls but they contain the above ingredients plus seaweed. It is delicate, authentic, top quality and very fresh. You help yourself and you will, time and again.

I have never had brunch in Tokyo. But I imagine the buffet looks quite a lot like you find at Sakura to the left of the sushi counter. How else to explain the scoops of heavily-mayonnaised potato salad garnished with a slice of bright-red cherry? Certainly, they are not there for the Indians’ benefit.

But they add a strange air of authenticity to the proceedings. And what you proceed to is a spread of delectable Japanese dishes.

Chicken yakatori skewers. Tempura of prawn, broccoli, carrot, eggplant served with a light, warm sauce mixed with radish and ginger. A rather intimidating-looking fish stew (mark up another point for authenticity if not delectability). Lightly-breaded chicken katsu with Japanese pickles and hot mustard.

Along the buffet line there are helpful staff members on hand to talk you through it all and, if needed, serve. Indeed, this past Sunday the couple next to us just sat down and had huge platters of sushi and tempura brought to their table. If you have six people, reserve one of the private rooms, which look even more tranquil than the main restaurant.

The price is 2,000 rupees. Add 400 rupees for booze (Australian bubbly, Indian red and white wine, Kingfisher beer) though we didn’t bother since it rather contradicted the spa-like atmosphere.

How mellow is this place? Our four-year-old napped through the entire thing. And sometimes, on a Sunday morning, that is just what you need.

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